Chapter 509: Cutting off the grass must remove the roots

While Guo Ziyi was waiting for King Qin, the food and grass in Jingzhou City gradually became scarce.

Even Li Heng's cabin began to have insufficient food and clothing. At this time, Zhang Ting went against her usual simplicity and ordered the chickens that laid eggs for her son to be eaten every day to be slaughtered for soup.

He boiled water for her to bathe. Since there was insufficient water in the city, Li Heng might not have bathed for a long time.

"Bang!"

Zhang Ting had just come out of the bathtub and was wiping down. There were sounds of kicking on the door and the exclamations of the slaves outside.

"saint……"

Li Heng rushed in angrily, as if he had not seen Zhang Ting's graceful body, pointed at her and yelled: "What are you doing? Can you finally stop pretending to be virtuous and kind?!"

"What are you still pretending to be?" Zhang Ting asked sarcastically, "At this point, do you still think of yourself as the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty?"

Li Heng had always been in awe of her. After scolding her, he softened his tone and said, "Why don't you stop being patient? Guo Ziyi will come to King Qin soon."

"He won't come." Zhang Ting said, "Whenever there is any sign that Guo Ziyi is coming to Qinwang, Li Chu will definitely encourage people. But you look at him, he is only thinking about persuading you to surrender. It can be seen that the situation is irreversible."

Zhang Ting claims to be Li Chu's enemy, so she knows him very well. Although she wants to get rid of Li Chu, she also knows that he is more capable than Li Heng.

"Wait a moment." Li Heng stepped forward and advised, "What if things turn around? I wholeheartedly want to make you the queen."

"Your Majesty, you should continue to stop and suffer the chaos." Zhang Ting sighed: "There is no hope for the throne. Now that it has been reduced, the glory and wealth will not be lost."

"That's not what you said when you persuaded me before. I don't understand, how could you just give up? You shouldn't be such a person."

"Have you forgotten, Your Majesty?" Zhang Ting suddenly became displeased, his eyes narrowed, and he seemed to be going crazy, "How many times have I told Your Majesty? Your Majesty is sick, and I want to take him back to Chang'an to hire the best doctor."

Famous doctor. We, mother and son, can no longer stand such a homeless life! I come from a noble family and have endured countless hardships since marrying you, but have I ever enjoyed any blessings?!"

Li Heng was stunned and opened his mouth.

He vaguely remembered that his son Li Yi was indeed ill, and Zhang Ting did often talk about it. But he was too anxious recently to care about it.

"I...I also hope..."

Zhang Ting threw away the bathrobe in her hand, walked up to Li Heng wetly, and put her hands on his shoulders.

"Go back to Chang'an. I've had enough. When we get back to Chang'an and Ji'er's illness is cured, we will find a solution."

This woman who had always been strong and ambitious suddenly became so weak when Li Heng needed her most.

She lost her ambition, and after going crazy, she leaned her head on Li Heng's shoulder, as if she wanted to rely on him.

At this moment, Li Heng was not tempted at all. He had already ignored her beauty. What he felt more was sadness, because he suddenly figured out that relying on a woman as his backbone was ultimately unreliable.

The cold wet hair stuck to his neck, but he pushed Zhang Ting away, staggered two steps, turned around and walked out.

"saint?"

"You all only care about yourselves." Li Heng murmured, "Xue Ni wants to bury me alive, but I will never surrender."

"He won't." Zhang Ting said, "He is not as unwise as Li Jingzhong."

"You are wrong, he will bury me alive one day."

Li Heng murmured to himself and walked out, not knowing where he was going. He did not want to see Li Chu, Du Hongjian and others who persuaded him to abdicate and surrender, nor did he want to go to the top of the city to see Xin Yunjing, Ma Lin and others defending the city.

.

Although he held the supreme position, he felt that he could not find even one supporter. In the end, he returned to the lobby of the palace and looked around. Only the eunuchs such as Li Fuguo, Yu Chaoen, and Luo Fengxian remained.

.

"What do you think I should do?"

"This servant swears to defend the saint to the death."

The firm attitude of the eunuchs pleased Li Hengdun. As if grasping at straws, he even thought of letting them serve as his commander to defeat Xue Bai.

Hearing this, several eunuchs were frightened. They said it nicely, but in their hearts they were afraid of death. Their courage may not be as courageous as Zhang Ting's.

Yu Chaoen quickly bowed down and said: "Saint, although I am willing to fight to the death for the saint, I am afraid that I will offend the saint."

"I think that instead of fighting to the death right now, it is better to unite with King Qing to deal with Xue Ni..."

Li Heng was furious and scolded: "After all, you are the same as Li Chu, Du Hongjian and other Confucian scholars!"

"No." Li Fuguo knelt down, climbed two steps, kowtowed and apologized: "Slaves are different, slaves consider the safety of the saint."

"Do you know why you can become my personal attendant? Because Li Jingzhong was killed by Xue Ni!"

"It is precisely because of Xue Ni's cruelty that the servants are worried that he will be harmful to the saint after he breaks the city." Li Fuguo said, "And if he returns to Chang'an, for the time being, Xue Ni will not dare to touch the saint in order to appease various officials."

"But what about the future?"

"The saints can unite with King Qing and get rid of Xue Ni first."

"You put it simply, once I abdicate, am I still left to my own devices?"

Li Fuguo hurriedly said: "The slaves and others must eliminate adultery for the saint."

Luo Fengxian also spoke up: "It is not the slaves who are responsible for fighting on the battlefield. When we get to Chang'an, we will contact King Qing and persuade him to join forces with the saint to deal with the traitors who usurp the country. The slaves will definitely do it."

Yu Chaoen said: "Yes, saint, don't worry, as long as the slaves are here, Xue Ni can be eliminated."

"In the worst case, assassinate him." Li Fuguo said, "In any case, it will be easier to deal with him than the current confrontation between the two armies."

The high-pitched voice said something to you, and Li Heng finally hesitated and asked: "Really?"

"You will definitely live up to the saint!"

All the eunuchs swore their oaths loudly and loudly, appearing to be very manly.

Yu Chaoen said again: "After Xue Bai is eliminated, King Qing is weak and has no heirs. How can he be the opponent of the saint?"

"Yes, sooner or later the world will still belong to saints." Li Fuguo said.

Li Heng finally wavered. He had been tired of fighting due to military defeats and lack of food and grass.

Perhaps, we should change our approach and use Machiavellian tactics to get rid of Xue Bai. In terms of Machiavellian tactics, who can compare to him who has been the prince for more than ten years and is known for his forbearance?

With this thought, he also began to miss Chang'an, and even couldn't wait to return to Chang'an as soon as possible.

"Xue Ni...won't harm me for the time being?"

"Don't worry, saint." Li Fuguo said, "My servant asserts that he will not dare."

~~

Li Heng finally decided to abdicate.

He issued an edict stating that the reason why he temporarily ascended the throne was because the clan was not in peace and the country was in trouble. Now that he had succeeded and retired, he should honor his eldest brother as the emperor.

As soon as the abdication edict came out, many people in Jingzhou City felt sad. For example, Ma Lin wanted to guard Li Heng and guarded the city every day. Unexpectedly, Xue Ni didn't come and Li Heng actually gave up. .

Ma Lin then looked up to the sky and cried loudly, saying: "I am willing to die for the clan, but your majesty surrenders first?!"

No matter how reluctant he was to give up, he could no longer stop Li Heng from surrendering.

On the day when the edict was issued, Li Heng, with his hair disheveled and plain clothes, led the civil and military officials of Jingzhou out of the city to surrender.

When he was walking on the street in the city, he heard the eunuch report: "Sage, an official hanged himself at home, which can be said to be a martyrdom."

Li Heng was stunned for a moment and thought to himself, after leaving this city gate, he would no longer hear others calling him "saint".

After a while, he came back to his senses and asked: "Which official?"

Before he could hear an answer, there was a loud noise in front of him, and the city gate had already opened. He still didn't know the names of the martyrs, so he had to put the matter aside and look at Li Fuguo, Yu Chaoen, Luo Fengxian and others to strengthen his courage.

All the eunuchs either came forward to tidy up his clothes, or whispered encouragement to cheer him up.

With a long sigh, Li Heng stepped out of the city gate.

From a distance, one can see Xue Bai wearing bright light armor, sitting majestically on a tall horse.

When the distance between them gets closer and closer, until they are only a few steps apart, and others can see the two of them at the same time, they will understand why Xue Bai wins and Li Heng loses.

The two have completely different temperaments. Xue Bai is firm and confident, with calm and deep eyes; Li Heng is haggard and restless, with evasive and anxious eyes.

If one side is strong in heart and has a long-term vision; if the other side is weak and cares about small profits and forgets the great righteousness, victory or defeat is already doomed.

Li Heng raised his head and looked at Xue Bai, thinking of that afternoon in Tianbao's fifth year, when Li Jingzhong carefully walked in front of him.

"Your Highness, someone from the Du family is here. The person Suo Douji is chasing says he has brought evidence."

"Can the verdict be overturned?"

"I'm afraid it's difficult. I'm worried that if you reverse the case for the Du family, it will implicate Your Majesty even more. Or is it better to make a clean break with the Du family?"

"Um."

"Then the slave will go and do it?"

"Um……"

Memories came flooding back, and Li Heng felt regret for the first time. He couldn't help but think about how much better it would have been if he hadn't listened to the eunuch Li Jingzhong at that time.

I hope Xue Bai keeps his promise and will not retaliate against him now.

really.
To be continued...